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Defense
and defense, count. For the sake of this article we will talk about the defensive side of the ball. Good teams play defense. And a huge part of defending involves making shots tough on opponents. Unless you are in major foul trouble, there should never be a time on defense when you are near an opponent and don't try to bother the shot. Contesting a shot is not necessarily blocking the shot. Essentially it involves making it hard for the opponent to see the basket. Players like the retired Shane Battier would literally put their hand in the face of the guarded player to obstruct their view of the basket. To keep it simple, on the perimeter when your opponent attempts to shoot put a hand up near the face (don't touch) without jumping if they are the same size or smaller. On the perimeter, if the player is bigger or you are farther away from him/her and you are running out to contest the shot, jump and put a hand in the face but turn your body to the side to avoid contact. One of the worst things to do is foul a jump shooter, in particular someone taking a three- pointer. In the paint, things differ some as you may more often than not try to actually block the shot while avoiding body contact. Remember that in any activity where one is aiming for a target, when there is an object in the way, it makes the target that much more difficult to hit. So, do your team a favor and make it your job to CONTEST SHOTS regularly. |